The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-11-18
WAGES AID Projection.


How the Lab0rlnG Classes Are Benefited
by the Existing Tariff
1t may at first appear that no one is
benefited by the tariff save the men
actually employed in protected indus
tries. and the men who have money
invested in such establishments This
is. however, not true. This will be
plain when we consider that the wages
of all working-men, in whatever line of
business they are engaged. whether
protected or not, are on the same gen.
eral level. There is no discrepancy
between the wages of skilled labor en-
ployed in protective industries and
skilled labor that is not. The former
does not receive proportionally higher
wages than the latter.
This is because the tariff operates to
keep up the wages, not only of work.
men engaged in protected industries,
but in every and all lines of labor.
To illustrate this, let us consider
what would be the result should the
so-called revenue reformers" who
want the equalizing feature of the tariff
removed, be successful. and tariff
'for revenue only" be adopted.
The first result would be an enorm-
Gus influx of foreign goods. which, in
consequence of the much lower tariff.
could be put upon the market ut
lower rates than American goods.
Then the American manufacturers
would either have to cut down the wages
of their working-people to the foreign
standard. or shut up their establish
ments. Practically. part of them
would shut up, and the other reduce
wages. Strikes would be hopeless
against the cut in wages. for there
would be no profit in manufacturing
at higher wages, and no man will run
an establishment at a loss. Suppose
one-third of our industries were shut
up, the others run at English wages.
The thousands of workmen out OF
situations would necessarily turn to
other employment. Every employer
would be besieged by applications for
work.
The means of purchasing on the part
of tens of thousands of our population
being either curtailed or cut off. trade
would get dull. Hard times W ould sci
in. What is the inevitable result OF
dull times and vast fore of unem-
plOyed men seeking work at any thing
they will give them living? Wages
would go tumbling. 1t has always
been so in the past. and will in evitably
always be SO.
Who would this tumble in wages af-
feet? Read the future by the light Of
the past, and you will see that it eff
fects every body who works for wages
for hire-fOr salary. Not only the
men in the mills and foundries and
factories and shops, the women in ten
thousand establishments. but the clerks
in counting rooms and behind coun-
tiers, the book-keepers and account
ants, the draymen and street-caI
drivers. the conductors, brakemen. en-
gineers. fremen. truckmen and switch
men on our railways. 1.-The men in the
forests and the mines-every body, We
repeat, who works tor wages or salary
and this includes three; tourths of oul
population.
If the abolition of the protective
feature of the tariff would do all this
and it is matter of history that it has
done so in the past-is itnot clear that
its retention keeps up the wages Of EN-
ployes not only in protected in
dustries. but all along line Of those who
work for hire?
1.-THE greatest good Of the greatest
number" is the maxim of our Govern
ment. Is not this observed in preserv-
ing tariff rate which gives to three
fourths of our population greater in.
come than they would otherwise OBJ
tain?- Toledo Blade.